Nipmuc cheerleaders caught drinking

Wednesday

Nov 21, 2012 at 8:00 AMNov 21, 2012 at 7:30 PM

By Susan Spencer TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF

A dozen Nipmuc Regional High School cheerleaders are facing the consequences of not being able to perform at the pep rally or cheer at the traditional Thanksgiving football game against Blackstone Valley Regional Vocational Technical High School after their involvement came to light in a potentially dangerous teenage tradition, underage drinking.

Principal John Clements referred questions to the district superintendent’s office, and Superintendent of Schools Joseph Maruszczak did not return a call this morning.

Nipmuc Regional High School in Upton serves Mendon and Upton students.

Students decked out in their class colors as they departed this morning’s pep rally for Thanksgiving break commented that for some classmates, partying with alcohol is part of high school life.

The cheerleaders’ sanction came after they were caught drinking at a sleepover in Mendon Friday night, at which two girls were sent to the hospital by ambulance.

William Ambrosino, the homeowner whose daughter is on the team, told police one girl brought a bottle of vodka and they also got their hands on booze he had left in a cooler and forgotten about. He called 911.

Mr. Ambrosino serves as chairman of the Mendon Planning Board.

Police told WFXT-TV they investigated and decided not to bring charges because none of the adults in the house knew about the liquor.

“Everyone was released (from the hospital) that night,” Mendon Police Chief Ernest Horn told the Telegram & Gazette.He said the department is currently investigating the circumstances.

As for the squad missing the action at the football game tomorrow, Michael Mattox, a senior from Upton, said, “They were just some kids having fun.”

Several recent Nipmuc graduates who returned to visit on their Thanksgiving breaks commented that students drank when they were in high school, but “no one got caught.”

One of the graduates, who did not want to be identified, said, “It’s high school. In general, drinking in high school happens.”

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, alcohol is the most commonly used and abused drug among youth in the United States, more than tobacco and illicit drugs, and is responsible for more than 4,700 annual deaths among underage youth.

The legal drinking age across the country is 21.

The CDC reports that on average, underage drinkers consume more drinks per drinking occasion than adult drinkers. Twenty-two percent of high school students reported binge drinking in the past 30 days, in a 2011 survey.

Binge drinking is defined for men as consuming five or more drinks in about two hours, and for women as consuming four or more drinks.

In 2010, there were approximately 189,000 emergency rooms visits by persons under age 21 for injuries and other conditions linked to alcohol.

Chief Horn said that he wasn’t aware of any situation quite like this in which a whole squad or team was sanctioned for underage drinking.